Among the scientists across the world poised to rapidly produce data on SARS-CoV-2’s continued global proliferation is immunologist and virologist James Nyagwange of Kenya’s Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust Research Program in Kilifi. He and his colleagues have planned a number of projects related to new variants and the human immune response to the virus, but over the past year, some of their COVID-19–related studies have stalled due to delays in getting the lab materials they need from abroad.
For a while, the researchers were precariously short on culture media, which they need to produce SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein in bulk for assays that detect virus-targeting antibodies in human blood samples. Fortunately, some orders arrived at the last minute before they ran out, Nyagwange says. But they have been less lucky with multiwell plates, which they need for another assay that assesses the antibodies’ ability to neutralize virus in vitro, bringing ...
